Inspired by the focused spontaneous casters of the world (Warmage, Beguiler, and Dread Necromancer), I present the Alchemist, a potion-centric mage with a penchant for Transmutation (though there is also a bit of Conjuration, and a pinch of other schools to taste).

THE ALCHEMIST
"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper deathif youaren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
-Severus Snape, Would-Be Alchemist

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the alchemist.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Alchemists are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with a alchemist's gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.

Spells: An alchemist casts arcane spells which are drawn alchemist spell list. He can cast any spell on the list without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must.
To cast a spell, an alchemist must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a sorcerers spell is 10 + the spell level + the alchemist's Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, an alchemist can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Alchemist. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score.
Unlike a wizard or a cleric, an alchemist need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells hell cast.

Alchemy: An alchemist is, naturally, an adept of the Alchemical arts that rest in a strange position between magic and the mundane sciences. As such, an Alchemist makes daily craft checks in silver pieces, rather than copper.
Juryrig: An alchemist is amazingly proficient at his craft, and as a full-round action an alchemist may attempt to create any alchemical substance using only the materials on hand. Make a Craft: Alchemy check against the substance's DC + 4. If sucessful, the created substance must be used within a number of rounds equal to the Alchemist's intelligence modifier or cease to function. This ability may be used once per day plus the Alchemist's Wisdom modifier.
Brew Potion: The Alchemist gains Brew Potion as a bonus feat.
Smell Magic (Su): A lifetime of work in the Alchemical laboratories has left the Alchemist with a keen sense of smell--at least in the realm of magic. The Alchemist gains the scent special ability, but it may only be used to detect targets capable of using arcane spells or spell-like abilities based on arcane spells. An Alchemist may also instantly recognize potions by scent.
Metamagic Draught Mastery of both magic and alchemy grants the Alchemist the ability to brew raw magical power in the form of Metamagic Draughts. Producing a Metamagic Draught is much like brewing a potion: the Alchemist chooses a metamagic feat he posses, and brews a potion containing that power. The potion has an equivalent spell level equal to the number of levels the feat would typically increase a spell by, and a caster level equal to twice that amount. Metamagic feats without level adjustment are created as cantrips with a spell level of 1/2 and a caster level of 1. Double the cost of producing a potion to determine the cost of a Metamagic Draught; each dose additionally requires the expenditure of 25 XP per equivalent spell level.
When ingested, a metamagic draught allows the spellcaster to apply the effects of the metamagic feat chosen to any spell cast within 3 rounds.
Hurl Potion: An Alchemist has learns of many ways to deliver the effects of magic: to ingest, to annoint, and ultimately to shatter. As an attack action, the Alchemist may hurl a potion at any target within thirty feet as a ranged attack. As a full-round action, the Alchemist may take careful aim first, allowing him to hurl the potion as a ranged touch attack. Either way, if sucessful, the target suffers the effect of the potion as normal, save that a hurled potion does not allow for spell resistance. Any target is still allowed saving throws as normal.
Potionmaster: An Alchemist is the master of brewed magic, and so he can make his potions more potent than normal. At 6th level, an Alchemist gains access to supplementary spells. While the Alchemist can not cast any of these spells, he may brew potions containing them as if they were on his spell list. These spells are provided below.
In addition to this, at every level indicated above, the maximum level of spell that the Alchemist may brew into a potion is raised. Note that this does not apply to Metamagic Draughts, which may not exceed an equivalent spell level of 3rd. These increases also provide new supplementary spells.
Philosopher's Stone: The ultimate goal of the Alchemist is to attain power over time and matter through the production of a singularly powerful catalyst known as the Philosopher's Stone. At 20th level, the Alchemist may undertake a week-long ritualistic experiment in order to fulfil that goal and produce a single effective stone. The experiment consumes raw materials worth 100,000 gold, and the end result is a single, fist-sized chunk of blood-red crystal. Upon creation of the crystal, the Alchemist changes type to become an Outsider (Native), and ceases to age for as long as the stone exists. Any aging bonuses or penalties already accrued still apply, but no further modifiers are gained. If the crystal is destroyed, the Alchemist resumes aging until such a time as he may construct a new Philosopher's Stone. While in direct contact with the stone, the Alchemist's caster level for Transmutation spells increases by 2. An Alchemist may only maintain a single stone at a time.

This is definatly very close to an ideal alchemist class, Ive seen many diffrent takes but this version of the Alchemist is probably the best, most balanced versions Ive seen. But they also need to be able to make diffrent kinds of potions than the ones on the supplementary spell list. Also there should be an ability that lets him create potions of spells 2-3 levels below his highest spell slot without an xp cost.

Heres a thought, what if they as the ability to turn their potions into gas?

GryffonDurime

2007-07-03, 07:48 PM

Also there should be an ability that lets him create potions of spells 2-3 levels below his highest spell slot without an xp cost.

I was considering adding in some kind of increase to the juryrig ability that allows for the quicker creation of a potion, but I don't know about removing the XP expense.

Callix

2007-07-04, 08:13 AM

Maybe a few more supplemental potions? Potions of Heal are probably a bit much, but there are a few buffs and dispels, like Remove Disease, this guy could do with. Otherwise, very fun.

JoshuaZ

2009-03-15, 05:18 PM

As long as you are making a class based on alchemy and you've got the quote from Severus Snape you might want to add additional potions that can only be created by this sort of alchemist. Most would need to be high levels, but you could even base them off of the HP potions (and if necessary change the names). A high level potion that provides a luck bonus would be an obvious one, as well as a potion that allowed you to shapechange into someone (but required a part of the person). There are at least 10 or 20 potions in the books which don't correspond to standard D&D potions.

Cieyrin

2009-03-16, 10:45 PM

Does the alchemist know all the spells on his spell list or does he select his spells known from the list (i.e. does he do his spellcasting as a sorcerer or as a warmage)? It's not clearly mentioned anywhere in the class, at least on my inspection.

Hurl Potion should be bolded in the ability description, as it's currently the only one that isn't.

For additional powers and xp reduction, I wouldn't necessarily eliminate xp cost but potentially remove them, perhaps as a free feat, Magical Artisan(Brew Potion), I believe is the one I'm thinking of. You can find it in the Eberron Campaign Setting, if i'm recalling correctly, and it reduces xp costs by half for the selected item creation feat. There's also one for halving gold piece expeditures as well.

I would say, as a base class built around better brewing, they should be able to create higher level potions, as well, based off of their alchemist level and that should probably be their only means of spell delivery, if we were to stay true to the concept. It works pretty well with the Juryrig ability and you could advance the ability as you advance in alchemist levels, with your lower level spells being more quickly brewed, with your highest level spells continuing to need the full-round action.

I would almost say that you should consider putting the class back to being a preparation caster class but, rather than having to muse over a book, you're brewing spells up for later use. It actually doesn't make all that much to sense to me where your strength of personality comes in following brewing instructions and improving on them. That's all purely mental exercise, i'd say, making it completely Intelligence-based.

In all other fashions, I'd say you did a great job with the class. Take what you will of my suggestions but you've definitely got some good work here. Great job!

Them's are my 2 coppers. Take as you will.

GryffonDurime

2009-03-16, 11:28 PM

Oh, this is just necromancy of the foulest sort!

I think this was my first attempt at a Homebrewed class. :smallwink:

Olo Demonsbane

2009-03-17, 01:59 AM

Look at the Master Alchemist from Magic of Faerun. They are a prestige class similar to this, and I recomend that you use the same sort of higher level brew thing.

Otherwise, great job!

VelvetThunder

2009-03-24, 05:57 AM

I think The hurl potion Feature should start at 1st Level and scale as they progress. Also What about a Ricochet type of thing, Where you could Throw a Potion of Cure Serious Wounds, Bounce it off of Gnome A and Then Hit Fighter, and Split the healing up between them. As the progress in the class You could get in More Targets per Ricochet. Other than that.. It looks great to me!

Lemming

2009-03-24, 04:18 PM

Me likey! :smalltongue: A greater selection of potion-only spells might be nice, but thats not too big of a problem. Maybe some "Alchemist-only" potions at higher levels.
Two other things and some suggestions: The "Hurl Potion" ability seems kinda strange. It's an interesting idea, but a potion has to be ingested. Would the bottle or whatever break and cut the target, and the potion enters through the cuts? Maybe make it an oil only ability and increase the types of oils an Alchemist could make? (Maybe an ability that allows the Alchemist to make any potion as an oil instead?)
And I agree with Cieryn that preparing spells makes more sense. Another idea might be to have the Alchemist able to cast a spell directly from his spellbook (i.e. read it aloud) instead of casting a prepared spell. But it would take time. Maybe 1 round/spell level? It would be pseudo-spontaneous casting! :smalltongue:
...And those are my thoughts. Wow this turned out long. :smalltongue:

@Velvet:I'm not sure a ricochet would work. You are throwing the potion at the target, and (I assume) break the potion bottle on them. The bottle/potion wouldn't ricochet and hit someone else unless you counted it as a splash weapon. Besides, a potion is a one use item(I think. Might be some multi use ones though). So you couldn't get multiple uses out of it anyway.

VelvetThunder

2009-03-25, 06:56 AM

To Lemming
I see what you mean about the ingested v.s. applied thing. So how about a dart? Sort of like a Giant Syringe full of said potion. It would do damage of course, but the damage would be minimal and would administer the contents. This would also allow the Alchemist to Deliver Potions to non willing creatures as well.

Lemming

2009-03-25, 06:00 PM

Intravenous potions! It will revolutionize the industry!:smalltongue:
This would fit nicely because darts are simple weapons, and since the Alchemist can already use those it would just be like using a poison. Hmmm... Would Alchemists get bonuses for poisons? Synthesizing, extracting and/or using them?

VelvetThunder

2009-03-26, 12:42 AM

They ought to get some proficiency with Poisons I think. Essentially we are talking about a class based on mastery of Chemicals, be they Mundane or Magical, so Poison use would seem a natural path that could go. The only Reservation I have on this would be the use of the Juryrig ability. Would this work on Poisoncraft? If it did, the end result would be determined by the locale. Plus You'd have to factor in a fairly high chance of Poisoning yourself Since you'd be crafting this in the course of a round without special equipment and the like. Now if you wanted to go the other route and make the Juryrig not work for poisons, you'd have to give them something. Bonuses on poisoncraft and extracting and the like, as you said, Would be fine.

IcarusWings

2009-04-05, 03:46 AM

This sounds awesome, I just wanna see some alchemical fire in there:smallbiggrin:

Limos

2009-04-10, 01:00 AM

By Vecna's dental fillings!

This thread is from two years ago. Respect the dead. Sure I also enjoy a nice Alchemist class. But you should just let deceased threads lie.